Estrogen testosterone and insulin are examples of steroid hormones

Estrogens are a group of steroids that are responsible for the development and function of reproductive organs and the formation of secondary sex characteristics in women. Along with another hormone , progesterone , they help regulate the menstrual cycle, are involved in the growth of breasts and the uterus, and help maintain a healthy pregnancy . Though considered the main sex hormones for women, they are also found in men and play a role in bone metabolism and growth in both sexes. Estrogen tests measure one of three components: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), or estriol (E3) in the blood or urine.

Neural injections of Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) were applied to males of both groups to test for neurogenesis . Analysis showed that testosterone and dihydrotestosterone regulated adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). Adult hippocampal neurogenesis was regulated through the androgen receptor in the wild-type male rats, but not in the TMF male rats. To further test the role of activated androgen receptors on AHN, flutamide , an antiandrogen drug that competes with testosterone and dihydrotestosterone for androgen receptors , and dihydrotestosterone were administered to normal male rats. Dihydrotestosterone increased the number of BrdU cells, while flutamide inhibited these cells.

You shouldn’t use estrogen without progesterone. These two need each other to balance your body. At the cellular level, these two actually counteract each other. Believe it or not, this is what we want. Progesterone “tells” the cell to grab some estrogen. But estrogen “tells” the cell to block excess estrogen. So, too much progesterone causes your cells to grab too much estrogen. There is not enough estrogen to stop this uptake and you get estrogen dominant symptoms. It seems illogical to give estrogen to counteract estrogen dominant symptoms but this is what needs to be done in this scenario. It has to do with balance, not your body’s level of hormones.